What is his fear?
by sevvyboy1fangirl
Summary: It's the defense class where they all face a boggart. But when Harry is up something comes out that no one ever considered. Why is he scared of his Uncle? abuse-fic rated T to be safe, turns into a mentor-snape fic.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1:**

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><p><strong>AN: This chapter has been updated, hopefully I've fixed all of the mistakes in it. <strong>

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><p>Harry Potter was currently in his defense against the dark arts class. It was his third year at Hogwarts and for once he actually had a decent defense professor, Lupin. The class today was about boggarts. Harry thought that it was pretty cool that they each got to go up to the wardrobe. It was rather funny to see the things that the boggart was reduced to in the end by each student. He was however a little nervous as to what would happen when he went up. He wasn't sure what would come out of the wardrobe. He had so many terrors in his life that it really was a gamble as to what it would be. Unlike his friend Ron he didn't know that a spider would come out when he went up. And frankly that scared him.<p>

"Ridikulus!" He heard Padma shout. He looked towards the front and saw a huge jack-in-the-box bouncing around. Honestly he thought that that was creepier than the cobra she had spelled away. He counted the people in front of him in the line. Six people to go.

Five people to go. What would happen?

Four people to go. Would he be able to face it?

Three people to go. What if he couldn't?

Two people to go. What would come out of that wardrobe?

One person left. What if it was...

What came out of the wardrobe was something poor Harry could never have prepared for.

The other students were baffled as, after their boy-hero had stepped up in front of the wardrobe, a fat walrus of a man who was red in the face came out to face the class. Why would a fat man scare the boy-who-lived?

As soon as Harry saw who came out of the wardrobe he froze and all the blood drained from his face. The fat man started turning purple in the face before he opened his mouth and started to yell.

"You worthless freak! Can't you do anything right?! You're as useless and lazy as your good for nothing drunk parents! Freaks! The lot of you! Should've drowned you when we had the chance boy!"

As the man ranted he started to advance upon the frozen boy. As soon as he got within 4 feet of him the man raised a meaty fist and Harry unfroze but instead of spelling away the boggart as his classmates expected him to, Harry flinched and curled into himself. A string of barley decipherable words flowed from the boy's mouth. When the class heard what he was saying, the few who understood paled considerable as the truth dawned upon them about their hero's home life.

"Please I'll be good, don't hit me again uncle, please, please, I'll be good, promise. I didn't mean it! I'll not be a freak any longer. I'm sorry! I'm so sorry. Please! Please, don't hit me anymore. Just don't lock me in my cupboard, I'll be good, just please..." Harry muttered, shaking and curling into an even tighter ball.

Professor Lupin snapped out of his shock and quickly put the boggart back in the wardrobe as it was still in the form of the shaking student's uncle and was still shouting profanities at the poor boy.

"Class, you will tell no one what you witnessed in this class room. Do you understand? Good, make sure you all keep your mouths closed. Now, class dismissed." Lupin got rid of the students as fast as he could. Slowly he reached down and put a hand on his dead friends' son's shoulder. The boy flinched away as if he had been burned. Realizing that he was going to need some serious help he sent a patronus to Severus, Poppy, Minerva, and Dumbledore. As he waited for the others to get there he wondered how no one had figured out that their hero was an abused child. But then he thought, what if someone had. There was no way Dumbledore couldn't have found out. Suddenly he was regretting calling the old man. But he saw it was too late to undo it as he saw the people he had called enter the classroom.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2:**

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><p><strong>AN: This chapter has been updated<strong>

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><p>As Severus filed into the room behind Poppy and Minerva with Dumbledore behind him, he could immediately tell that something was wrong. Looking past Lupin and towards the middle of the classroom he spotted the unmistakable form of Potter on the floor shaking and whimpering. Looking at Lupin with a questioning eyebrow raised Severus stepped forward to the werewolf.<p>

"What's wrong with the brat? Didn't get the grade he wanted so he's throwing a tantrum? Lupin you really do need to learn to say no to the spoiled boy." Severus sneered at the man as said man's face flushed in rage and shame.

"Now Severus, don't jump on Remus before he has explained." Poppy reprimanded, frowning at the spy.

"Merlin knows you pamper your snakes." Minerva said pointedly.

"Remus my boy, do tell us what made you summon us so urgently?" Dumbledore asked, eyes twinkling. If Severus didn't know better than he would have said that Lupin had looked at Albus as if he had been betrayed. But now why would Lupin question his precious leader of the light?

"I'm afraid some horrible news has come to light about Harry." Remus started, hesitantly.

"Oh I knew it! The spoiled boy is whining about not having the quill he wanted or some such nonsense." Severus snarled. Remus promptly glowered at the dark clad man.

"You'll regret those words once you know what I know, Severus." Remus growled. "The only way you can properly understand is if I show you the memory." Turning toward the left he summoned his pensive and pulled a strand of silver from his temple, placing it in the swirling liquid. "Go and see." Remus said solemnly. The DADA teacher watched as his four colleagues submerged themselves in the past. Sighing heavily he rubbed his eyes tiredly. If only they could have prevented this from happening. He was alerted to the return of the others by the sound of crying, which was coming from Poppy, Minerva was tight-lipped in her fury. Severus was paler than usual with a shocked look on his face, Dumbledore looked grim but looking closely Remus could see signs that indicated the emotion was false. Oh how he wanted to hex that bastard into the next era.

"Wished you'd been nicer now, don't you Severus?" Lupin jibed. Severus just couldn't believe what he had witnessed.

"How could we have missed this?" Poppy said through her tears.

"Yes, how indeed." Severus said, looking at Albus. "If I recall correctly, headmaster, you told us that the boy was being well cared for in a loving home. Also I distinctly remember you telling me that you had someone aside from yourself monitoring the boy. Now am I supposed to believe that your methods for watching the boy failed as have the wards you placed to protect him? Or is it actually that you haven't done any of those things, and instead you were aware of this the whole time? Surprisingly enough the latter is more believable to me. So, which was it? Did you fail in you duties or are you a lying, child-abuse enabling, crazy old man?" The tone in which Severus said this shocked the occupants of the room, for the tone he used was deadly and quiet. It was so lethal sounding that it took all Albus had not to turn tail and run.

The others in the room looked at the old man expectantly, waiting for an answer. Whether the one they wanted to hear or the truth they didn't know but they needed an answer.


End file.
